Quotes About Adversity

When Jesus was tempted, He didn't debate the devil. He quoted Scripture: "It is written . . . It is written . . . It is written" (Matthew 4:4–10 NKJV). And each time the devil was defeated.

Christ never told his disciples that they would get an Academy Award for their performances, but He did tell them to expect to have troubles.

Without dark clouds in our lives, we would never know the joy of sunshine.

Christ warned His followers that to believe in Him would not make them popular, and that they should be prepared to face affliction for His sake.

We should not covet or expect the praise of ungodly men . . . the very fact that they are inclined to persecute us is proof that we are "not of the world.

Persecution may wear an insulting face. Insults may come as a result of a Christian's lifestyle, which should be different from that of the secular world.

In a country where Christians were looked upon with suspicion and disfavor, a government leader said to me with a twinkle in his eye, "Christians seem to thrive under persecution. Perhaps we should prosper them, and then they would disappear.

Subtle persecution may happen to you in your office, school, or social gathering. You may not be "with it," or be "one of the crowd." No suffering that the Christian endures for Christ is ever in vain.

The greatest hindrance to Satan's destructive efforts is our standing strong in the knowledge and fear of the Lord.

A godly person—one who serves Christ and exhibits purity and integrity in his life—is not necessarily welcomed or admired by those who live differently. They may even react in scorn, or refuse to include a christian in their social gatherings because his very presence is a rebuke to them.

The way in which we react to hurts and disappointments influences the shaping of our personalities.

Hardship is not our choice; but if we face it bravely, it can toughen the fiber of our souls.

We must be constantly aware that Satan can take any human effort and twist it to serve his own purposes.

Christianity is not an insurance policy against life's ills and troubles.

We are to pray in times of adversity, lest we become faithless and unbelieving. We are to pray in times of prosperity, lest we become boastful and proud. We are to pray in times of danger, lest we become fearful and doubting. We need to pray in times of security, lest we become self-sufficient.

Success stories may be great motivational material for sales seminars, but we are not always successful.

This age is interested in success, not suffering . . . Our Lord was ridiculed, insulted, persecuted, and eventually killed. In the face of opposition, He went about "doing good.

There are storms in your own life: storms of temptation, confusion, and difficulty . . .An uneasy conscience says, "Stop before it is too late!

Many a life has come forth from the furnace of affliction more beautiful and more useful than before.

God can take anything that happens to us—even bad things—and use it to shape us and make us into a better, more Christlike person—if we will let Him.

We must learn to live triumphantly amid the traumas and pressures we face daily.

However, the Bible teaches that God does not always deliver His saints from adversity. A careful reading of Hebrews 11 shows that "others'" were just as faithful as Abraham, Moses, Daniel, or David; they, too, walked with God—but they perished. God has not promised to deliver us from trouble, but He has promised to go with us through the trouble.

If Satan can't keep you away from Christ, he will at least try to make you doubt your salvation.

As life hits us head-on we can respond with resentment, resignation, acceptance, or welcome. We are the living examples of our responses.